UK author jailed for criticizing ‘Singapore’s use of death penalty’ freed

London: A British author has been freed from a Singapore prison after serving time for contempt of court over his book that insulted the judiciary in Singapore.

Alan Shadrake, 76, was sentenced to six weeks in jail and fined 20,000 dollars for scandalizing the judiciary in his book Once A Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice System In The Dock about the use of the death penalty, the Scotsman reports.

Shadrake could not pay the fine that increased his jail sentence to eight weeks.

M Ravi, who represented Shadrake in court, has said the author was released early due to good behaviour.

"He is on a plane going to London," said Ravi, adding that Shadrake had been treated at the prison hospital for a slipped disc.

Singapore imposes the death penalty for crimes such as murder and has a mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking. It boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

The country has, however, been criticized for its harsh laws and use of lawsuits against critics.